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Don King Boxing

I got a little carried away boxing the tripe out of blokes in the ring yesterday. I had a couple of them knocked out with just a few blows to the skull and guts, but other opponents had to be gradually worn down. Fortunately, I have a good reach, decent hand speed, good reflexes and fancy footwork. My trainer says so. Funnily enough I’ve never set foot in a gym; this all happened via the Nintendo Wii in my lounge.

Yep, I’m talking about one of the hottest games to hit the shelves this year, Don King Boxing. You’ll have read a bit about it already; it has been very well received overseas and we touched on it in our last issue. After more time with the game, I’m even more impressed. Nintendo Wii games are often criticised for their mediocre graphics; however DKB is visually brilliant. A combination of documentary-style video and animation, it’s arresting in every sense. Sometimes it’s so engrossing you can practically smell the sweat and fear in the arena.

So you are surely wondering, "What exactly does the game entail?" Well, it’s a mix of training, a story/documentary mode (where you can learn about famous boxers) and actual fights. You’ve probably guessed that the narrator is the legendary Don King (the flamboyant guy with all the hair). He issues ‘encouraging’ feedback along the way, such as, “Kid, are you just in this for the trophy wife?” Love it.

Let me tell you, Don King Boxing is not for couch potatoes. It is such a hard workout. After a couple of training sessions and a few matches I needed to have a lie-down. If you’re interested in the game as a fitness tool, I really recommend it. Like Wii Fit, the program records your training on a calendar and graph so you can see your daily improvement. Coordination is also a valuable skill for this game, as are quick reflexes. It’s great fun though, and a good laugh. I nearly wet my pants chortling at ‘myself’ (a very hairy boxer built like a tank) skipping using the Wii balance board. There aren’t any lady boxers to choose from, you see.